


Labels

by brokenhighways



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 20:20:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20476904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: Jude and Zero move into their new house.





	Labels

"Where did you find that?"

Jude's holding onto a small, silver signet ring that Zero keeps hidden away. He can't remember the last time he saw it because the whole point is to  _ forget _ . Forget that he was a product of two shitty parents who didn't give a damn about him. A mother who gave up and an alcoholic father who only ever offered broken promises. 

Jude barely glances up. "Oh, it was in a box. Guess it's one of yours because it didn't have a label on it."

It feels like a Jude's taking a jab and Zero's already on edge. Between getting ready for preseason and moving house, he's exhausted. The last thing he needs is an emotional spiral caused by his inability to label boxes he won't unpack for several weeks.

"I'm sorry that I didn't label  _ one  _ box."

Jude doesn't even turn around, he's too busy moving onto the next box and the ring is out of sight. Zero breathes a sigh of relief and mentally calms himself down. 

Jude seems to do the opposite because he says, "Actually you didn't label any of your boxes. Good luck finding your shit."

Zero raises an eyebrow, quickly deciding to put out the fire before it turns into something they can't control. They've been fighting a lot lately. Nothing major, just small petty things, but Zero's seen enough cheesy romantic comedies to know that this is how  _ it  _ starts. 

One minute they're fighting over labels and the next, he's sitting in the tattered remains of their relationship. That's the last thing that he wants.

"Hey, don't be like that," Zero calls out, keeping his tone light and apologetic. "I'm just tired from the move. I'm sorry for being an asshole."

Jude finally turns around and levels Zero with a cautious look. "Why did that ring make you react like that?"

_ Dammit.  _

Jude's spent most of their relationship coming up with different ways to get Zero to open up and this is par for the course. He lulls Zero into a false sense of comfort and then  _ bam  _ he throws the ball at him and he has to think fast. 

"I just haven't seen it in a while."

Jude scoffs and looks away. "You know better than to lie to me."

Zero folds his arms and straightens his stance. "And you know better than to pressure me into talking about things that I don't want to. Right?"

Jude shakes his head and mutters something under his breath. 

Zero grabs the box closest to him and leaves, only stopping momentarily when he sees large block letters on the box that spell out 'JUDE'. 

It's surreal to be finally moving into  _ their  _ house, even more so when Zero sees their ideas in the flesh. The spiral staircase that he insisted on, wrapping around foyer like something out of a fairytale. The gold walls in their dining room, decorated with framed jerseys and a case for his championship rings. The perfectly landscaped garden that has a stone edge pathway leading to the pool. 

It's strange that a year ago, their house was a pile of rubble with the sledgehammer he stuck in the wall hanging on for dear life. Fast forward and they're finally here but... maybe it's their relationship that needs life support. He's lost track of the number of people who have told him that moving is one of the most stressful times in a person's life. He's tired of  _ stressful _ , tired of always struggling. 

He just wants them to be how they were before; an unstoppable unit that loved each other fiercely. Of course, he's not about to say all of that out loud. He might not be as closed off as he used to, but he's still not good at expressing emotions. He doesn't know how to tell Jude that every move he's ever made has come with its issues. 

There was Miami for college. He spent the first month playing  _ hard  _ and muffling his sobs at night. He was a rookie for Chicago and he always thinks about the veteran players who cleaned up his vomit and covered for him with the coach. By the time he got to Ohio, he'd mastered how to act like it didn't bother him. 

He slipped into the role of Zero, man of God and smooth talker and carried that same persona to L.A. where it inevitably fell apart. In a land full of dreamers and actors, it's unsurprising that someone saw through the façade. 

Technically, he didn't move in with Jude, they just decided to stay at his rented house until this place was done, so this is the next big move and the usual feelings have set in. He's taken back to his childhood, back to a time when his ratty suitcase is on the ground next time him, ready to be squashed into a space that was too small for it. 

Each time he put that stupid ring in his pocket, held onto it like it was a symbol of  _ something _ and not how lost he was. 

This time he didn't need the ring because he's finally got a family of his own, he's got Jude who's been a rock, a steady hand... and his inability to say what he's feeling might screw it up. 

"Gideon?" 

Zero blinks away the memories, only remembering that he hasn't actually gone anywhere. 

"Sorry, I got distracted."

Jude puts down the stacked Tupperware he's holding and shrugs. "Are you going to tell me what's up? Is it the house?"

"That's my dad's ring. The one you found. It's the only thing I have from my old life and I don't know, I guess I keep it as a reminder? That things were different. That I need to stay grounded."

"...But?" 

Zero smiles weakly. "I think it's having the opposite effect. Although, it's not just that. I just struggle with moving. Anywhere."

Jude nods sagely. "You  _ did  _ mention that when you first joined the team. At least that's how I took it."

Zero's confusion must show on his face because Jude elaborates quickly. 

"It was the third time I flew into Cleveland to get you to sign. You told me that you didn't do well with change and that you weren't going to risk everything for a pipe dream and--"

"You told me that you'd look out for me. That you'd always have my back."

It makes Zero chuckle just to think about it. At the time, he'd found Jude's boyish eagerness endearing, although, his ego was insulted that Oscar Kinkade wasn't the one wooing him. 

Still, his son was a big deal. That's what he told himself. He was never planning on signing or falling for the bullshit that Jude was throwing at him, but...the prospect of making it big in a city that had only ever chewed him up and spat him out swayed him. 

Along with Jude's words. 

They've been through a lot together: scandals, coming out, someone saying Zero fathered her baby and leaked intimate photos, but Jude's  _ always  _ had his back. 

"I know I've been busy, but I'm sorry I didn't make things easier for you," Jude says into the silence. "I moved around so much with my mom that it's second nature for me."

"It's okay. I should have said something. Should have told you that it was going to be hard for me."

"Are we good?" Jude sounds hopeful that he's smoothed things over and Zero's lips upturn before he's aware that he's smiling.

"We're good, Jude."

~

Two days later, Zero's sorting through a mess of unlabelled boxes when he sees one with his name on it. He drops what he's doing and grabs it. The handwriting isn't is - not that it matters. He didn't label anything so he knows it must have been Jude.

"Hey, did you put this here?" 

Jude's unboxing their cutlery and he looks over and tenses immediately. "That shouldn't be there. Let me just---"

Zero's a lot of things ...including naturally inquisitive, so he opens the box before Jude can retrieve it.

Inside is a small black jewelry box and a slip of paper. 

Zero pulls the slip out and reads:

_ I know you don't like labelling things, but will you marry me? _

...he looks back down at the box to see a black band with gold trims nestled in the centre.

He's stunned into silence, caught between slowly looking between the box and Jude (who looks horrified). 

"You weren't supposed to see that now. I had a whole speech planned and I was going to make dinner. Well.  _ Buy  _ dinner and--"

Jude seems flustered and Zero doesn't understand why. They've talked about this and despite a few bumps here and there, they're  _ solid.  _

It's always been a given that they'd make it official some day. 

"Yes. My answer's yes."

"Yes?" Jude echoes, his brow furrowed like he doesn't understand what Zero is saying. 

"Yeah,  _ stupid _ . I'll marry you." 

Jude's been taking the lead throughout their relationship and a proposal is something that Zero always thought  _ he'd  _ do. He's done his research and he has a couple of rings in mind. He's  _ still  _ going to go ahead and buy one, but this is better somehow. 

This quiet hidden moment between them is perfect and he knows that he doesn't need some cheap ring that belonged to his father to remind him of anything. 

Not when he has Jude in his life. 

"This is like the lamest proposal ever," Jude grumbles, like he's genuinely upset that he didn't get to do it the way he planned. 

"I loved it. Especially the snarky comment about labelling."

"It's insane that you didn't label any of your boxes, I'm not changing my mind on that."

"...And I'm not going to change my mind because your proposal wasn't as planned. My answer is still... _ yes _ ."

They gravitate towards each other, hesitating when Zero ends up in front of Jude, the ring box still in his hand.

Jude gestures at it awkwardly. "I think I'm supposed to put it on your finger and then talk about how much I love you. Or something."

It's only then that Zero catches the slight disappointment in Jude's eyes and once again, he thinks about the rings he's been looking at. 

It's only fair that Jude gets to do this the way  _ he  _ wants to. 

He closes the box and hands it to Jude who takes it from him reluctantly.

"I tell you what. You keep this and when  _ you  _ want to do it - go for it." 

"What if you change your mind?"

Zero finally leans in and pulls Jude close enough that their lips are touching. "I wouldn't bet on it. I love you. Always will."

Jude smiles into their kiss, pulling back long enough to say, "I love you too."

-Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
